Giving up alcohol for a month has a host of benefits - but it can seem like you’re also giving up fun. People who have successfully completed the alcohol-free Dry January challenge have said they’ve saved money, lost weight, reset their metabolism and/or digestion, and improved their sleep. Still, it’s a common belief that you need to trade out your social life to make it through the month. We’re sharing five tips to help you spend January sans alcohol while still having fun.
Grab a Buddy - Partnering up with a Dry January buddy can make the process fun while also keeping you accountable. Finding someone willing to forego alcohol may be easier than you think. According to Morning Consult, nearly 1 in 5 Americans tried Dry January in 2022, and Gallup reported that 30% of Americans don’t drink at all - January or otherwise.
Reduce Temptation - Take stock of the people, places, or habits that may tempt you, and take steps to remove that temptation. If you enjoy having drinks at home, make it easier on yourself by sequestering all alcohol to a hard-to-access place for the month, and swap in non-alcoholic bottles instead. You can make this process fun by writing motivational messages and leaving them where the alcohol used to be (i.e., “You’ve got this!” ).
Swap in Healthy Substitutes - One way to stick to Dry January is to consider the reasons you drink in the first place, and then swap in substitutes that fulfill those same reasons. If you drink to relax at the end of the day, see if taking a walk or meditating will provide the same sense of calm. NextEvo Naturals CBD can also provide a dose of relaxation with additional health benefits to boot. Mix Caliper dissolvable powders into a non-alcoholic drink for a relaxing, healthier beverage alternative.
Change the Drink, Not the Setting - Thanks to a growing “sobriety movement” in the U.S., it’s easier and easier to go dry while still enjoying your favorite restaurants, bars, and events. Mocktails and non-alcoholic wines or beers are becoming increasingly common, and Pattern Data Science noted that there was a 60% increase in growth for non-alcoholic drinks in just a single year (from 2020-2021). To keep up with demand, non-alcoholic shops, bars, and brands are cropping up across the country, giving people more options to have fun while socializing sober.
Reward Yourself - Positive reinforcement is a tried and true technique that helps us change habits and behaviors. Finding ways to reward yourself will help keep you motivated and having fun while you stick to your Dry January commitment. For example, if you normally have 5-7 alcoholic drinks in a week, calculate the daily or weekly cost for that number of drinks. Put the equivalent amount of money in a jar each day or at the end of each week, and pick out something fun to do with the money once the month is over.
Here’s a non-alcoholic toast to a dry, fun month!
